1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for packaging and organizing conductors, such as optical fibers, that have connectors at one of their ends. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus for organizing the connectors.
2. Related Art
High Fiber Count (HFC) fiber optic cable assemblies (fiber optic cable trunks with 12 or more fibers which are broken out into individual connectors on one or both ends) are used to build fiber optic backbones. The break-out end(s) of these HFC fiber optic cables consist of numerous individual fibers terminated with fiber optic connectors (such as SC, LC, FC, and ST connectors) which are bulky and difficult to package efficiently and compactly.
Conventional practice has been to install a flexible tube over the bundled connectors that is secured to the cable. This is done to prevent damage during shipping and handling. This packaging is typically sealed in the factory. This methodology makes it difficult to route the cable in ducts, wireways, and in panels due to its size. Further, the high fiber count packaging needs to be opened to perform a continuity check on the cable before the HFC fiber optic cable is installed. As a result, installers often will remove this packaging before attempting to install the HFC cable risking damage to the product. Once the inspection has been performed, this packaging methodology makes it difficult to reseal the packaging.
In addition, after the cable assembly is packaged, the conventional technology does not allow the manufacturing facility to verify that the fiber is not kinked or otherwise damaged. Also, conventional technology does not organize the connectors in a concise small package, but is instead large and bulky in size and shape. As mentioned above, the conventional packaging with the corrugated tube is sometimes too large to pull through cable ductwork, raceways, or conduits in the field. In addition, conventional technology is also not modular in design, and thus cannot be easily grouped and ungrouped with other such packages of fiber bundles causing additional bulkiness in transport. Further, the conventional technology is expensive.
Two related international applications (International Application No. PCT/US2010/022037 and International Application No. PCT/US2010/042735) by the current Applicant (AFL Telecommunications LLC) have tried to address some of the above issues. They provide a simplified method of packaging fiber bundles that is more time and cost efficient than the conventional methods and which provides adequate protection of the fibers.
These two applications provide a modular housing for packaging the fiber bundles. In the '037 application, the fiber optic connectors are held in the packaging case (housing) in a pocket and retained with a snap-in C-clip. FIG. 1 of the '037 application describes the housing and FIG. 2 of the '037 application describes one half of the housing. FIG. 2 of the '037 application illustrates six connecting portions on the first half that extend in a longitudinal direction along which the fibers extend and the connectors are retained in these connecting portions. The snap-in C-clip retains the connectors in the connecting portions.
The '735 application also provides a modular, re-sealable fiber optic high fiber count packaging in which the fiber optic connectors are held to the packaging case using an interior snap feature.
There is a need for better organizing and securing the fiber optic connectors in the packaging apparatuses/housings described in the '037 and '735 applications.